Danny Healy-Rae warns of rural decline and planning 'stranglehold'
Danny Healy-Rae spoke about the decline of coastal communities in South Kerry, the loss of fishing livelihoods and barriers to rural housing. He praised local GAA clubs' successes, criticised planning restrictions including a "street urban generated class", and urged action from the Taoiseach and regulators.
Local sport and community pride
He thanked the GA for raising the issue and congratulated Kerry clubs Dingle, the Vailtard and Ballymac on senior, junior and intermediate final wins. He also referenced pride in a recent All-Ireland victory and named the Cliffords when speaking of local sporting heritage.
Coastal livelihoods and youth leaving
He described how fishing in coastal communities has largely vanished, recalling mornings when men went out to fish that no longer happen. He said many young people are emigrating to Australia and New Zealand because they cannot afford to build or buy homes locally or obtain planning permission.
Planning rules and rural housing problems
He criticised planning restrictions he has encountered as a long-time Kerry County Councillor, saying a "street urban generated class" is preventing people outside towns from building. He recounted cases where councils preferred to relocate families into towns rather than provide rural cottages, and said regulators will not listen to county councillors or zone enough land.
Political appeals and commitment to continue
He said he has raised the issue with the Taoiseach and that he has asked the teacher to deal with it, adding he is getting impatient. He pledged to continue fighting the issue alongside deputies he named and thanked the GA and witnesses for taking up the battle, urging sustained pressure on decision-makers.
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I'm glad to be here today and I want to thank all the witnesses for coming here today and to thank the GA for bringing forward this concern that they have and that we all have really but they're at the front of this now and we're glad that they have taken up the battle because it is a serious battle to be continued with. First of all I want to thank the club in Kerry and the three clubs in Kerry that have won the senior, junior and intermediate finals, Dingle, the Vailtard and Ballymac and we thought Sunday Dingle would beat about three different times and they still came back. We're very, very proud of them as we are of our All-Iran winners last year and when we think of the Cliffords and all those fellas we're a very proud country and the GA has done a lot for us and we've done a lot for the GA as well and I remember a few years ago Pat Spillane was invited by the government to try to fight this problem that we have where so many people are leaving South Kerry along the coast and when they go to university they're not coming back and we don't know what it is, well there are many things we do. The fishing along the coastal communities is actually totally nearly gone altogether and so many people, I remember them back, if we went down to Schneem in the morning at half of seven there'd be a few fellas going different directions going out along the bay fishing. That's not happening anymore and it's the same back along Cahar Danil and Castle Cove and all those places. The livelihood isn't there anymore for them. So them young fellas won't be staying there for that and it's the same back on the other side, the other side of the Berheaven of the Khmer River along the Berheaven. It's the same story there. But then the planning, like Deputy Air said there, I have been a long-time member of Kerry County Council before I came up here and I know all the restrictions that's been put in front of people and trying to stop them from getting planning permission and we have something that I've raised with the Taoiseach several times or a street urban generated class which was to stop people from coming out from towns and buildings and rural areas. It shouldn't be happening anywhere. But what that class is actually doing is stopping the people that are not farmers, sons and daughters, they are local there, they are being stopped as well under this class. It's absolutely ridiculous. I've asked the teacher to deal with it. I'm getting impatient that I'm not getting anywhere with it and I see things like a farmer's house being burned down and before we used to bring them out a demountable home and the council would do that. But now they'll insist in taking that man into a town where he never was and they won't build a rural cottage. It's too costly or whatever it is, it's not in fashion to build a rural cottage on the land for a family like they used to do before and when they get on their feet, invariably they all bought them rural cottages out even though it was a council, things like that. And it's very sad. I go into a lot of bars and I'm not a drinking man and I don't drink at all but when you meet a group of youngsters, teen or 12 or maybe 15, they're all meeting for the last time. They're all going to Australia. It's so sad and to New Zealand and departing here and the main reason is they can't afford to build a house here or they can't get planning permission or they can't afford to buy a house. So, there were things that government upstairs must set out and look, I'm glad that he's putting the shoulder to the wheel and putting a spore on them because we need it. Myself and Deputy Herr and Deputy Smith, we're around a long time now we know what the issues are and we're fighting inside there and I don't know, it's like whenever a regulator that won't listen to county councillors around the table and won't let them zone land, not enough land is zoned have too much of a stranglehold it's like they want the people to come up here into Dublin and that they won't leave them building their own areas. There's something more to it than I can understand because it's making sense to me what is happening. Look, Kahir, I know, but I'm very hot about all this and that's why I've waited here all evening just to get a few minutes to talk to you. I'm on your side, I know you're on our side so we'll have to continue and fight harder. We can't give up the fight because we'll be leaving down our country we'll be leaving down our counties and we must stay at it and they'll have to listen to us up there inside the chamber because we are getting impatient now and they'll have to do something. Thanks very much.
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